K. Anji Reddy, Indian entrepreneur in the pharmaceutical industry, had an estimated net worth of $1.5 billion as of March 2013 according to Forbes. He was also the 43rd richest person in the list of India’s Richest People and 974th in the world.

Mr. Reddy earned his estimated net worth of $1.5 billion as the founder and chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories (DRL) Ltd. which he established in 1984 and based in Hyderabad. He was also the chairman of Dr. Reddy’s Foundation (DRF), the corporate social responsibility arm of the group which was established in 1996.

Currently, DRL has $1.9 billion in revenues and is run by his son and son-in-law. In June, the firm has formed a partnership with Merck Serono, a division of Germany’s Merck, in order to develop cancer drugs. It also has a marketing alliance with GlaxoSmithKline and a joint venture with Fujifilm Corp. to develop and sell generic drugs in Japan. Recently, the company was sued by Bristol Myers Squibb for an alleged patent infringement of a cancer drug.

Kallam Anji Reddy was born on February 1, 1939 in Tadepalli, Guntur district in India. His father was a turmeric farmer. He was a graduate of Bombay University with a B.Sc.-Tech degree specializing in Pharmaceutical Science and Fine Chemicals. He later obtained his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from National Chemical Laboratory in June in 1969. He was honored with a Padmabhushan by the Government of India for his contribution to the Indian Pharmaceutical Industry. He was also a member of the Indian Prime Minister’s Council on Trade and Industry. Sadly, due to liver cancer, he died on March 15, 2013.